Life is nothing but a pursuit of happiness. And the age and stage where an individual is most receptive to joy and where being happy is most essential is childhood. A positive mood is a fertile ground for creativity, good memory, imagination as well as excelling at academics.
Today, lockdown has resulted in education, entertainment, and social needs, all shifting to the digital medium. The constant glare of screens and fixation with gizmos has known to cause elevated levels of restlessness, stress, and anxiety. But, surprisingly even in this backdrop, only handful of children has been educated about meditation to help remedy the situation.
Research has proven that meditation, particularly Its sub varieties like mindfulness helps inculcate better concentration in studies, fosters loving family bonds, a better understanding of concepts, greater check on peer pressure, more attentiveness, enhanced receptivity, and more empathy and respect for others.
A regular morning routine of meditation in kids can help them remain enthusiastic and bubbling with energy all day. It also works to keep mental imbalances such as stress, depression, and hyperactivity at bay. By getting the children to focus on one thing at a time, meditation increases attention span and the ability to keep distractions away while on a task.
Meditation is known to trigger the secretion of ‘happy hormones’ in the body. And by virtue of doing this, it shapes a positive worldview, a compassionate perspective to life for kids. This will come to be of great use in testing situations such as study pressure, nervous moments, being bullied, or when they happen to enter an environment where bullying is normal
On the practical front, parents can lead by example in aiding the mainstreaming of meditation. They can make meditation a group activity with their kids at home.
Starting meditation early in life is like laying the foundation of a conscious life lived happily ever after.
(The author is a founder of Dudes & Dolls World, Adhyay School, and Ritesh Rawal Foundation)
